Samsung shocked owners of Galaxy S23 phones last month by adding (then-exclusive) Galaxy S24 AI functionality to their devices. The business has now acknowledged that an AI update will be coming to even more phones.
In a press statement on Monday, Samsung said that some of the Galaxy AI-enabled features will be available on phones it debuted in 2022, such as the Galaxy S22 series. The AI update will be released in “early May” with One UI 6.1.
Nearly all of the AI capabilities, including the highly marketed Live Translate, Circle to Search, Note Assist, and generative picture editing, appear to be coming to Samsung’s older phones.
Additional AI-powered features from One UI 6.1, including as Interpreter, Chat Assist, and AI-generated wallpapers, will also be available. Instant Slow-Mo is the only feature that hasn’t been added; this is probably due to its hardware requirements.
The Galaxy S22, S22 Plus, S22 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Flip 4, and every model in the Galaxy Tab S8 range are all included in the complete list of compatible 2022 phones. With the most recent announcement, the majority of Samsung’s 2023 smartphone lineup now has these features.
It’s possible that Samsung will continue to release AI technologies for older phones. According to a Samsung staff member’s post in the company’s community, the Galaxy S21, Flip 3, and Fold 3 will get two AI features: Circle to Search and Chat Assist. According to the post, these will also be released in the first part of May.
Samsung has stated for a long time that it hopes to integrate its fundamental AI capabilities into as many of its Galaxy phones as possible—as many of which it still provides software updates for. The business is actively evaluating which outdated tablets and phones can run its most recent AI technology, according to remarks made by Samsung’s head of mobile, TM Roh, last month.
So, which older phones will receive the AI toolkit? After its release in 2020, the Galaxy S20 series is no longer receiving Android upgrades. The phone does still receive quarterly security updates, though.
What about its mid-range gadgets, such as the A55 and A35 that were just released? They may not have the necessary specs for Galaxy AI if that’s the reason neither device has it. Though they are classified as mid-range phones, surely the newest models can support certain AI skills if three-year-old phones can?
Since the sheer idea of artificial intelligence (AI) seems futuristic, Samsung might want to restrict its use of AI technology to its higher-end smartphones. Should Galaxy AI be accessible on the company’s least expensive smartphones, that may potentially devalue the perception of AI in general.